Rafael Benitez has not always enjoyed the warmest of relationships with Jose Mourinho but he says United’s players and not their manager is his focus when both sides clash in the EPL on Saturday.
“Mourinho has won a lot of trophies with a lot of teams,” the Spaniard says. “He is a good manager. My main concern is Lukaku, Mata, Herrera, Rashford.”
Benitez also said he was unaware if the club was any nearer to being sold: “The information I have is that we will play tomorrow at Manchester United. We have to concentrate on our football, that is it.”
A bit of team news now from Benitez, who has confirmed captain Jamaal Lascelles, Christian Atsu and Mikel Merino will all miss the crunch tie game through injury.
Lascelles has an ankle injury, Atsu is struggling with a thigh problem and Merino is not ready to return from a back issue.
Mourinho has confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are in his squad for Saturday’s game against Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Ibrahimovic is yet to play this season after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in April.
Pogba suffered a hamstring injury against Basle in September.
Defender Marcos Rojo is also available for the first time this season after recovering from cruciate surgery.
